Excavating machine



Ja 30, 1945. H L'LMANN ETAL 2,368,360-

EXCAVATING MACHINE Filed 'July 8, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Huber? Hollmann N G Van Vmki/d,

Jan. 0 1945- H. HOLLMANN AL 2,368,360

EXCAVATING MACHINE Filed July 8, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V aux 001M004. flu/heal lfallman'n/ G.Vun VOW/Lid,

Patented Jan. 30, 1945 EXCAVATING MACHINE I Hubert Hollmann,v River Forest, 111., and William G. Van Voorhis, Columbus, Ohio, assignors to The Buckeye Traction Ditcher Company,"

Findlay, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 8, 1943, Serial No. 493,831

4 Claims.

This invention relates to excavators, but more particularly to wheel type ditchers or trenchers equipped with a digging wheel which when in operation, excavates a trench or a ditch as the machine advances, the digging wheel being above the surface of the ground when-not in use.

Machines equipped with wheel type excavators are ordinarily mounted for vertical translatory movement alon upright elevator rails which are fixed to the rear end of the machine. frame. Ordinarily, these rails are rigidly braced to the main frame of the machine in order to make them sufficiently rigid and these braces are objectionable because they obscure the vision of the operator. who takes care of the advancing movement of the machine. In order to militate against the disadvantage caused by lack of vision, many machines of this character are equipped with separate controls at the rear of the machine so that when the machine is excavating, the operator can change his position to be closer to the digging wheel and enable its operation to be more closely observed.

An object is to overcome the above difficulties and to produce a machine of this character in which the elevator rails are supported in a new and improved manner without the use of the usual sight-obscuring braces.

Another object is to produce a frame construction for wheel type trenchers having the new and improved features of construction and arrangement hereinafter described.

A further object is to produce a frame structure for a wheel mounted trencher equipped with a digging wheel which affords greater visibility to the operator in normal traveling position so that the operator can assume the same position whether for traveling or for excavating.

Other objects and advantages of theinvention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of 11- lustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a wheel mounted trenching machine equipped with a digging wheel and showing, the latter in excavating position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the frame structure 'for the machine diagrammatically showing a portion of the'traction and di ging wheel drives;

Figure 3 is an enlarged end elevation of the frame showing the elevator construction and the positioning of the digging wheel and traction drives; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the main frame and elevator structure.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises. a trenching machine which has a main frame A which is mounted upon front wheels B and rear tandem wheels C, two of which are disposed on each side of the vehicle. Mounted at the front end of the main frame and extending forwardly of the front or steering wheels B is a suitable power plant D which issuitably connected for driving the drive or tandem wheels for propelling the machine along the ground. Since the operative connections between the power plant D and wheels C form no part of the present invention, detailed description and illustration thereof is not considered necessary.

Intermediate the wheels B and C, is the op erators position E convenient to the steering wheel F and both the traction and digging controls. Carried at the rear end of the machine is a digging wheel G equipped with a series of excavating buckets H (only one of which is shown). It will be readily understood by those skilled in this art that the buckets H successively dig into the ground and elevate the dirt or spoil "to a position where it is discharged upon a conveyor J discharging the same laterally of the machine. The construction and operation of downwardly to suitable power winches P mounted the digging wheel G is old in the art and detail description thereof is not considered necessary since it forms no part of the present invention.

As will hereinafter be more fully described, the elevator structure K is secured to the rear end of the main frame A and the frame of the digging wheel G has slides L which ride vertically along the elevator rails and vertical movement is imparted to the digging wheel by suitable cables M which extend to the rear end portion of the digging wheel frame, and N which connect to the forward end of the digging wheel frame. These cables extend forwardly over sheaves generally designated at O and thence in the lower edge inclines downwardly thereby gradually thickening the beam to the region H which is spaced forwardly of the elevator rail structure K. From the point [I the beam inclines upwardly forming with the horizontal portion or the beam, an obtuse angle. This upwardly inclined beam portion l2 terminates'in an up and down contact face l3 which is disposed at substantially right angles to the horizontal.

The loweredge portion of the upwardly .inclined portion 2 terminates in a horizontal .portion M which is substantially parallel to the .upper edge of the beam portion 10. It will be zap parent that the upwardly inclined portion l2 from the bend to the upand-down contactface 13 provides a very strong andsturdy support and engagingthecontact face l3 i anelevator rail l5 which forms part of the elevatorrail structure K.

. The rail I5 is likewise of channel construction I6 which may be welded to the .rails and triangu-.

lar shaped plates H are Welded on both sides of the cross beam It to the adjacent rails l5 respectively. Near the top of the rails extends a cross beam l8 which may be welded to the rails and projects slightly beyond the sides thereof. Substantially U-shaped cages i9 extend over the upper ends of the elevator rails [5 and mounted on shafts carried thereby are the sheaves 0 above mentioned. Triangular shaped braces 20 brace the top beam 18 to the elevator rails l5 as shown. It will be understood that several cross bars or beams 2| are secured at their ends to the'side beams ill in order to provide a rigid structureand at the front end a beam 22 is connected to the spaced side beams.

Fixed as 'by welding "to' the inside "of "each up- 'wardly inclined beam-portion l2 i a-horizontally disposed shelf bracket 23 and rising from the rear end portionof each shelf bracket 23 is a bracket plate 24 havinga rearwardly extending web 25. The shelf bracket -23 and plate 24 provide thesupport to which a suitablebracket may be bolted. Such bracket-supports the end-portions or tubular casing for the digging wheel difadjacent portion of the traction differential S may b suitably secured. As shown, the shelf bracket 28 is formed with suitable ribs 30 and 3| for affording the desired strength and rigidity.

From the above description, it will be manifest that the elevator rail structure K is rigid with the main frame and is sufiiciently strong and sturdyto accommodate the weight of the digging wheel G when the latter is elevated to traveling position, as well as to support the same in proper relation to the machine during excavating. The entire structure and assembly is so designed as to eliminate sight-obscuring braces heretofore employed for bracing the elevator rail structureK with respect to the main frame. Not only does the frame structure have the desirable functional utility as mentioned above, but it also greatlyenhances the appearance of the machine. Numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the .invention especially as definedin theappended-claims.

What I claim is: 1. An excavating machine comprising a main frame, a traction support for said main frame, a

power plant at the front end portion ofsaid main frame, a digging wheel disposed rearwardly of said main frame, mechanism for driving said traction unit fromsaid power, plant, mechanism for driving said digging wheel fronrsaid power plant, operating means for said mechanisms disposed intermediate the ends of said frame,said main frame including side beams :having -enlarged rear end portions providing up and down rear end faces, upright elevator rails fixed vto said end faces .and projecting above and'below same, each of said enlarged rear end portions having an aperture through which extends apertion of said digging wheel driving mechanism, a shelf beneath each aperture, and a bearing bracket forsaid digging driving mechanism on each shelf. I v

2. An excavating machine comprising a main frame, a .tractionsupport for said main frame, ,a' power plant at the front end portion of said mainframe, a, digging wheel disposed rearwardly of:sai'd mainframe, mechanism for driving said traction unit from said power 'plant, mechanism for driving said digging wheel from said power plant, operating means :for said mechanisms .dis posed intermediate the ends of rsaidframesaid main frame including :side beams having enlarged rear end portions providing up and .down rear end faces, upright elevator rails fixed to-said end faces-and projecting above and belowsame, each of said enlarged rear-end portions being'upwardly inclined and having an aperturethrough which extends a portion of *said "digging wheel driving mechanism, ashelf beneath each aperture, a bearing bracket for said "digging driving mechanism on each shelf ,"and said upwardly inclined rear end portions accommodating said traction unit driving mechanism.

3. In an excavating machine, a main frame including a pair "of longitudinal side beams, each side beam including a substantiallyhorizontally disposed portion, an integral upwardly inclined rear end portion, a vertically disposed elevator rail in abutting and 'fixed relation to the rear end of said upwardly inclined end portion, a portion of said elevator rail projecting above and another portionbelow said endportion, each upwardly inclined portion having an aperture to enable drive shaft to project therethrough, ashelf on each beam beneath said aperture, and a bearing bracket fixed to each shelf.

main frame including side beams having enlarged v rear end portions providing up and down rear 4. An excavating machine comprising a main frame, a traction support for said main frame, a power plant at the front end portion of said main frame, a digging wheel disposed rearwardly of said'main frame, mechanism for driving said traction unit from said power plant, mechanism for driving said digging wheel from said power plant, operating means for said mechanisms disposed intermediate the ends" of said frame, said end faces, upright elevator rails fixed to said end faces and projecting above and below same, each 

